Hapco Philadelphia has told City Council for years that many rental owners don’t make enough in rent to keep up with the maintenance of their properties.

Throw in more than a year of unpaid rent during the pandemic eviction moratorium, and it’s a wonder tenants even have an apartment on which to fall behind in rent.

A survey of 6,000 renters will hopefully show council members that years of regulations, taxes, and fees have to be undone before rental owners disappear from Philadelphia, leaving tenants with no place to live.